Electric-current relay



C. 0. LORENZ.

ELECTRIC CURRENT RELAY. APPLICATION FILED JULYZO, 1917.

Patented July 19, 1921.

win/58s.-

ATTORNEY- UNITED STATES PATENT ornoa.

CHARLES O. LORENZ, OF PORT ARTHUR, TEXAS, ASSIGNOR TO THE TEXAS COMPANY 01' NEW YORK, N. Y., A. CORPORATION OF TEXAS.

ELECTRIC-CURRENT RELAY.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented July 19, 1921.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, CHARLES O. LoRnNz, a citizen of the United States residing at Port Arthur, in the county of Jefferson and State of Texas, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Electric-CurrentRelays, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to improvements in electric current relays, and has for its object the provision of a relay capable of use with either a direct or alternating current and especially adapted for economical use in constant temperature apparatus in which the heating circuit is closed the greater part of the time the apparatus is in action. A further object of the invention is to avoid the possibility of the sticking of the relay movable contacts. g

The invention will be understood by reference to the accompanying drawings in Which- M Figure 1 is a sectional elevation of the relay, and

Flg. 2 is a diagrammatic view of the relay in circuit with heating elements and a ther-,

mostatic control device.

Referring to Fig. 1, it will be seen that the relay com rises the solenoid 1, the upper core 2, an the lower core 3. The solenoid may be form wound and of a proper resistance for the apparatus to which it is applied; The solenoid is contained in a casing a having a top closure plate I) and a bottom 0 osure plate 0, all fitted upon a tube 4 formed of bakelite or other non-magnetic material, and serving not only as a supporting member for the solenoid case and other parts, but as a guide for the cores. The tube 4 is provided with an offset 4 upon which the core 2 normally rests. Below the solenoid case-plate a'and mounted upon the tube 4 is a sleeve 5 which is held in close contact with plate 0 by means of a jam-nut 6 threaded upon the lower end of the tube 4.

An insulating ring 7 threaded or otherwise secured upon the upper end of tube 4 serves to hold the upper solenoid case-plate 6 in position.

The core 3 consists of aninner member formed of wood and sheathed by a layer 3 of soft iron wire, and the .core is provided at its base and top with the steel caps 8 and .9, the latter cap having a saw-tooth upper face for the purpose hereinafter described. The

plates of the core.

core 2 is composed of a series of laminated steel plates fitted within a chamber in the upperend of tube 4 and extending below the upper end of the solenoid, so that the magnetic flux of the latter will magnetize the best results it is preferable to so position the offset 4- that the core 2 will normally extend below the upper end-of the solenoid for a dlstance of approximately one-third of the len th of the solenoid.

- ach of the,- laminated plates forming the core 2 1s Provided with a central aperture through which freely passes a nonmagnetic rod 10, the latter also extending throu h a central 0 ening formed in the. core 3, and eing adjusta 1y secured thereto in any. suitable manner. At its upper end the rod In order to obtain the 10 is connected to a conducting wire11 leadl in to a binding post 12, and at its lower end ro 10 s provided with a contact point 12* of tungsten or other suitable metal and adapted to engage a contact plate 13, the

latter being su ported upon the base of a cup. 14 threade upon the lower end of tube 4 and inclosing the relay at its base. To

contact plate 13 leads the conductor 11".'

Threaded upon the upper end of the sleeve 4 and serving to inclose conducting wire 11 and to support binding post 12, is a ca 15. An insulating cap 16 may inclose the inding' post. The base plate c of the solenoid case is provided with two apertures for the conductors d, d in their passage to and from the solenoi coil.

3 The diagrammatic Fig. 2 illustrates the relay in circuit with a heating element 18 and a thermostatic control 19. The nuwhich is connected to, but insulated from,

the-lever 23 to which is electrically connected the conducting wire dleading to one end ofthe solenoid coil 1. The lever is provided with a contact 1:. which is adapted to meet a contact plate is electrically connected with conducting wire 31 leading to the block 21*. The conducting wire 11 leading to the solenoid coil is connected to block 21. A switch 24 may be provided for the purpose of manually breaking the circuit through the relay.

The construction and operation of the relay when connected with the thermostatic controlled circuit above described is such that gravity acting upon the core 3 normally maintains the relay contacts closed, so that current will flow through the heatin circuit until the temperature exceeds the egree to which the thermostat is set for action. Thereupon bar 22 its rise and through lever 23 will close the circuit through the solenoid and the current flowing throu h the latter will magnetize the two cores. ence, the core 3 is drawn up to meet the upper core 2 thus lifting rod 10 and breaking the heating circuit. When the temperature falls the solenoid becomes denergized and the core 3 falls by gravity to again close the heating circuit. Owing to the saw-tooth upper face of cap 9 it is impossible for the two cores to stick; and the relay is-very sensitive to the action of the thermostat.

The upper core is laminated to avoid core loss and heating when the relay is used on analternatingcurrent circuit and the lower core has only a shell of magnetizable material which assists in preventing sticking, particularly when the relay is used on a direct current circuit.

The relay requires a minimum current because the solenoid is energized only during the periods of inaction of the heating elements, and hence is especially valuable in any constant temperature apparatus where the heating elements are in use the greater part of the time.

It has been found convenient to describe my invention as applied to' a constant tem perature bath apparatus, but it is understood that the relay system herein disclosed is adapted for many other uses. It is especially suited for employment in electric ovens and incubators, in controlling automobile storage battery systems, and for many other uses, as will readily occur to those skilled in the art.

What I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States, is

1. A relay comprising a tubular member having contact terminals at its opposite ends, a fixed solenoid coil intermediate the ends of the tube, movable cores within the magnetic flux of the solenoid and slidably mounted within the tube comprising a laminated upper core and non-magnetizable lower core having a magnetizable shell, a conducting rod operatively connected to the lower core, and a contact adapted to be en gaged by said rod.

v nals disposed at opposite on 2. A relay comprising a tubular member having a solenoid intermediate the ends of the tube and containing within the magnetic flux of the solenoid an upper laminated core and a lower core of non-magnetizable material having .a magnetizable shell, a conductingrod connected with the lower core for movement therewith, and a contact adapted to be engaged by said rod.

3. A relay comprising a tubularmember having contact terminals at its opposite ends, a fixed solenoid intermediate the ends of the tube, a laminated core within the magnetic flux of the solenoid and capable of a restricted movement within the tube, another core within the magnetic flux of the solenoid and adapted to move within the tube comprising a non-magnetizable core with magnetizable wire wound thereon, a conducting rod operatively connected to the latter core, and a contact adapted to be engaged by said rod.

4. A relay comprising a tubular member having a solenoid intermediate the ends of the tube, upper andlower cores within the magnetic flux of thesolenoid and capable of movement within the tube, the upper core v being composed of laminations and-limited in its downward movement, a lower core composed of a non-magnetizable substance with magnetizable wire wound thereon, a conducting rod adapted to engage a contact mounted on said terminal support and 0peratively connected to the "conducting rod, whereby said rod may be withdrawn from said contact when the solenoid is energized.

6. A relay comprisinga tubular member, a solenoid intermediate the ends of the tube, magnetizable' cores within the tube and so arranged within the ma netic flux of the solenoid that they may nd the magnetic center upon the energizing of the solenoid, means comprising a saw-tooth cap whereby the cores may be allowed to freely art upon the denerg-izing of the solenoid, a contact, a conducting rod operatively con nected to one of the cores and adapted to engage the contact when the solenoid is deenergized andto disengage the contact when the solenoid is ener 'zed.

7. A relay comprising a tubular body having a non-magnetizable intermediate portion, a coil mounted on said d gortion, termiof the tubularmember, a movable contact-bearing rod ed to separate said rod from the lower contact when the coil is energized.

8. A relay comprising a tubular body having a non-magnetizable intermediate portion, a coil mounted on: said ortion, terminals disposed at opposite en s of the tubular member, a movable contact-bearing rod movable within the tubular'member and arranged to engage the terminal at the lower end of the tube and flexibly connected to the terminal at the top, a core member attached to the contact-bearing rod and adapted to separate said rod from the lower contact when the coil is ener 'zed, and a relatively stationary core mem er having a limited movement within the tube and an opening therethrough through which the contactbearing rod extends.

In testimony whereof Ivhave hereunto signed my name in the presence of two sub,- scribing witnesses.

CHARLES 'O. LORENZ. Witnesses:

S. A. BRULARD,

WM. T. Donmson. 

